ENGL381 - Week 5
February 16 and 18

As a result of this week's classes,
We will know
The different facets of “understanding” (explain, interpret, apply, perspective, empathy, self-knowledge)
What makes an “essential question” essential
We will be able to
Design questions / tasks that help to reveal what students do (or do not) understand
Draft essential questions
Connect essential questions to understandings
Connect the ideas from our book club presentations



Feb 16

Looking at the "different facets of understanding," chapter 4 of UBD
Preview the 6 facets ... "Understanding is multidimensional and complicated ... These facets are manifestations of transfer ability. We use these different but related facets for judging understanding in the same way that we use varied criteria for judging a single, complex performance."

When we understand, we ...
  • can explain
  • can interpret
  • can apply
  • have perspective
  • can empathize
  • have self-knowledge

Let's look at a video on Leadership as a way to note how the writer does or does not understand the concept of leadership. How do we know that he understands "leadership?"

Link to blog post


Then, using these facets, let's take a look at a poem by Li-Young Lee, and create questions and/or tasks that we might ask of students in order to see if they "understand" the poem.


Let's also take some time for you and your book/movie club to touch base on Thursday's book club presentation.


For Thursday ... book/movie club presentations ... drafting some of your unit (you're turning this in so I can see what you're thinking). This unit memo/letter will include your proposed topic/theme; link to a district's standards (I'm recommending Boise School District's, but feel free to use another district); list of potential texts and resources you might consider for your unit) ... on Thursday we'll also look at UBD, chapter 5, which focuses on "essential questions"